Scania will start producing trucks with megawatt charging in 2026
Sweden's Scania has promised to launch the first electric trucks with a Megawatt Charging System (MCS) fast charging port as early as next year. The commercial vehicle manufacturer made the announcement at the EVS38 trade fair in Gothenburg. Scania electric trucks with the Megawatt Charging System (MCS) will be available to order from the beginning of 2026.
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Scania already has an R 450e electric truck in production. It is currently offered with 416 or 624 kW⋅h batteries, with 520 and 728 kW⋅h versions to be added within a year. From next year, the R 450e will be equipped with an MCS connector straight from the factory.
The first MCS ports will support currents up to 1,000 Amps, giving a charging capacity of up to 750 kW. So far, this falls short of the claimed megawatt, but that should change in the future. The MCS standard is designed for a maximum current of 3000 Amps. This means that in the longer term, electric trucks will be able to charge from 20 to 80 per cent in less than 30 minutes.
Even with the 750 kW limit, MCS charging is about twice as fast as today's CCS2 standard, Scania notes. Such high power requires innovative safety solutions - liquid-cooled charger connectors and improved communication protocols for stable operation.
The MCS standard connector. Photo: Scania
At the same time, Scania, through parent company Traton and joint venture Milence, is working on the first corridors with MCS stations along important transport routes.
Scania has already successfully tested the MCS system from ABB E-Mobility in 2023. Both companies are involved in the development of the standard as members of the CharIN initiative. The megawatt charging system was first demonstrated in mid-2022 at the EVS35 electric vehicle symposium in Oslo.
MCS is designed for voltages up to 1,250 volts and currents up to 3,000 amps, which theoretically corresponds to up to 3.75 megawatts of power. Unlike electric passenger cars, the position of the charging port is standardised for European trucks. The MCS connector will be located on the left side, between two and 4.8 metres from the bumper.
Source: Scania
